Louis van Gaal hit back at West Ham manager Sam Allardyce for calling his team “Long-ball United” on Tuesday.
In a bizarre press conference at the AON Training Complex in Carrington, Manchester United boss Van Gaal pulled out a four-page pamphlet of statistics and diagrams when asked about Allardyce’s comments.
Allardyce’s decision to brand van Gaal’s team “long-ball United“ clearly riled the Manchester United manager, with the whole scene producing a slightly bizarre episode that evoked memories of Rafael Benitez’s press conference rant, directed at Sir Alex Ferguson, over referees in 2009.
Ferguson was famous for his mind-games and he clearly got under the skin of Benitez in January 2009 as United and Liverpool battled for the title.
Benitez was unimpressed by Ferguson’s criticism of referees and produced a sheet during a press conference listing a number of punishments handed down to the Scot by the FA on disciplinary issues. “These are the facts,” Benitez said.
If it was designed as a ploy to unsettle Ferguson, it did not work as United leapfrogged their rivals soon after and won the title.
VIDEO: Watch bizarre press conference as Louis van Gaal produces Rafa Benitez style rant